Missouri House OKs 8-week abortion ban on session's final day; Parson will sign

Correction: A previous version of this story misstated when the provisions of the bill would take effect if signed into law.

JEFFERSON CITY — The Missouri House gave final approval to one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country Friday morning.

On a 110-44 vote, the Republican-dominated chamber moved to ban the procedure at eight weeks into a pregnancy, when supporters say a heartbeat is regularly detectable and before opponents say many women even know they’re pregnant.

The only exception to the new rule would be if a mother is in danger of dying or suffering irreversible impairment of bodily function.

Doctors who give abortions anyway could lose their medical licenses and go to prison for up to 15 years; there is no legal penalty prescribed for patients.

The bill now heads to Republican Gov. Mike Parson, who pledged to sign it in a news release Friday.

“I’m honored to lead a state with so many people committed to standing up for those without a voice and commend the Legislature for getting this bill to my desk,” Parson said. “I pledge to sign this vital legislation as a strong message to the nation that here in Missouri we will always stand for life, protect women’s health, and advocate for the unborn.”

Once signed, the eight-week ban will go into effect Aug. 28.

Republicans in the GOP-dominated lower chamber, which passed an earlier version of the bill in February, hailed the vote as a moral triumph.

“Missouri is doing an incredible thing,” Rep. Sonya Anderson, R-Springfield, said. “We are a pro-life state, and we are here to prove it.”

Democrats slammed the bill as an attack on women’s rights driven by party ideology, to the cheers of abortion rights advocates who were eventually removed when their chants overtook debate.

“What this bill does is simply take the rights away from women to make choices about their own health care decisions,” said Rep. Doug Beck, D-Affton. “It’s not about life. I think a lot of it’s about campaigns and political fodder.”

Rep. Sarah Unsicker, D-Shrewsbury, listed various ways women in countries without abortion rights attempt dangerous alternatives, including methods involving bicycle spokes, ballpoint pens and jumping from rooftops and the top of staircases.

“We will be killing women with this bill,” she said.

Rep. Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, castigated the majority for the bill’s lack of exceptions for rape and incest, ignoring her and other young people who are and have been sexually abused.

"When you see me in this hallway, remember what you're doing to good girls who were like me, because that abuse is me and you simply don't care," she said.

But the outnumbered liberals’ arguments fell on mostly deaf ears.

Rep. Shamed Dogan, R-Ballwin, was the only Republican to speak or vote against the bill. He expressed concern over the lack of exceptions for rape and incest.

In a final speech before sponsor Rep. Nick Schroer, R-O’Fallon, closed, House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, choked up as he addressed his colleagues.

“My son and my daughters will remember and know exactly the position that I took for the rest of my life and the rest of their lives,” Haahr said. “I truly believe that every member of this body will be proud of the vote they take today. And for me, and my colleagues, and the architects of this legislation, we believe that the right vote is to vote for this bill.”

The aggressive move to curtail access to abortion in the state follows similar actions in Kentucky, Ohio, Mississippi, Georgia and Alabama aimed at challenging Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that made abortion legal nationwide.

The bill also bans abortions sought solely based on a fetus's gender, race or Down syndrome diagnosis, and contains a "trigger" banning them altogether if Roe v. Wade is overturned.

The state will almost certainly be sued over the legislation. Courts have struck down similar laws in Kentucky, Iowa and North Dakota, and legal challenges are pending against the other states with similar legislation.

But while Missouri’s bill sponsors contend they are not, in fact, trying to get to the Supreme Court, they are not afraid of the challenge.

Even if the eight-week ban is struck down, they are hoping a judge will accept one of a series of less-restrictive time limits ranging from 14-20 weeks.